Chapter 6 Draven
SIX
DRAVEN
Draven stalked back to his private chambers while every muscle in his body was coiled tight with barely restrained tension.
The black t-shirt stretched across his shoulders as he rolled them, trying to ease the knots that had formed during their charged encounter.
His dragon paced restlessly, agitated by the abrupt separation from their mate.
Their mate.
The thought sent fire racing through his veins. Lila’s confession replayed in his mind like a broken record—I’ve been thinking about you too. Her voice had carried breathless honesty that made his chest ache with hope he hadn’t dared feel in years.
He shoved through the heavy oak doors of his chambers, the familiar space offering little comfort tonight. The stone walls seemed to close in around him as he began pacing, his dark jeans rasping against his legs with each agitated step.
“Damn it.” He raked his hands through his hair, leaving the black strands even more disheveled. “She feels it too.”
The admission hung in the air like a challenge. His primal instincts raged at him to claim Lila, to end this dance of professional boundaries and take what fate had finally granted him. His dragon roared agreement, urging him to march back to her suite and show Lila exactly what she meant to him.
But the logical part of his mind—the part that had kept him alive and on the throne for eighteen years—whispered caution. Lila was here as his psychologist, not his potential mate. She’d left Earth to help a stranger with his mental health crisis, not to become queen of an alien territory.
Tell her she’s your fated mate and watch her run straight back through Gerri’s wormhole.
The thought made his jaw clench. He couldn’t lose her. Not when her presence had already brought him more peace than he’d ever felt. Not when the fire madness receded to barely a whisper whenever she was near.
His communicator buzzed against the nightstand, and Corin’s name flashed across the screen. Draven stared at it, remembering their conversation about the antidote that could cure his condition—if he mated with a dragon shifter. If he chose Veyra.
The device fell silent, then immediately started buzzing again.
“What?” Draven snapped as he answered.
“My king, I hope I’m not disturbing you.” Corin’s smooth voice carried false concern. “I wanted to follow up on our earlier discussion about the cure for your condition.”
Draven’s grip tightened on the communicator. “I told you I needed time to think.”
“Of course, but time isn’t exactly on our side, is it?” Corin’s tone grew more urgent. “Your episodes are worsening. The council is growing restless. And now there’s this human psychologist taking up residence in your castle.”
Heat flared in Draven’s chest at the dismissal in Corin’s voice. “Dr. Reyes is here to help me.”
“Is she? Or is she just another distraction keeping you from making the hard choices necessary for your survival?” Corin paused, letting his words sink in.
“Councilor Veyra has the political connections, and most importantly, the biological compatibility to stabilize your fire after you take the antidote. She’s been waiting patiently for you to recognize what’s been right in front of you for a long time. ”
Veyra. The name tasted like poison in his mouth. Beautiful, ambitious, politically savvy Veyra who’d been circling him like a predator for years. She’d offered her support during his episodes, always appearing at precisely the right moment with soothing words and strategic advice.
“The antidote works within days of the mating,” Corin continued. “You could be free of this burden before the week is out.”
Draven closed his eyes, fighting the wave of temptation. Quick relief from the fire madness. An end to the constant fear of losing control. A politically advantageous match that would strengthen his position.
Everything except what his heart actually wanted.
“I appreciate your concern, Corin, but—”
“Think about your kingdom, Draven. Think about what happens if you collapse completely. Is your pride worth the stability of the entire Dominion?”
The line went dead. Corin’s words echoed uncomfortably with his own fears—the ones that woke him in cold sweats, imagining his fire consuming everything he’d sworn to protect.
But then he remembered the way Lila’s green eyes had softened when she’d guided him through his panic attack today. The calm that had settled over his mind like a warm blanket. The rightness he’d felt when their hands touched.
She’s my mate. The real cure, not some artificial antidote.
His dragon stirred in agreement, more settled than it had been in months. Lila’s presence in the castle was like a healing balm on wounds he’d carried for years. But how could he tell her the truth without sounding completely insane?
Hey, Lila, forget the therapy sessions and science. Turns out you’re my destined mate and if you sleep with me, it’ll cure my magical fire madness.
He snorted at the ridiculous mental script. She’d think he’d finally lost his mind completely.
No, Jarek was right. He needed to be strategic. Subtle. Let their connection develop naturally while finding ways to be vulnerable and open about his past trauma—his father’s death, his fears of failure, and the crushing weight of responsibility he’d carried since he was sixteen.
Maybe if she understood the man beneath the crown, she’d be willing to explore what was building between them. Maybe she’d stay longer than two weeks.
Maybe she’ll choose me.
The thought sent both hope and terror racing through his system. He’d spent so long protecting himself from emotional vulnerability that the idea of laying his heart bare felt more dangerous than facing down an army of rogue dragons.
But the alternative—watching her leave, accepting Corin’s antidote, mating with Veyra—made his dragon snarl with violent rejection.
Two weeks. That’s all the time he had to convince the most incredible woman he’d ever met that their impossible connection was worth exploring. Two weeks to heal eighteen years of carefully constructed emotional barriers.
Two weeks to save his sanity, his kingdom, and his heart.
The urgency hit him with physical force. He couldn’t afford to move slowly, couldn’t waste time on elaborate courtship rituals. The fire madness was a ticking bomb, and Lila was the only one who could defuse it.
Tomorrow, he decided, his jaw setting with determination. Tomorrow I start showing her who I really am.
The next morning, Draven dragged himself through the castle toward the dining room, the soft morning light filtering through the tall windows doing nothing to ease the exhaustion weighing on him.
His dark jeans clung to his powerful thighs, and the forest green henley he’d chosen for comfort felt like sandpaper against his skin.
Every step echoed his restless night—hours spent pacing his chambers, replaying every moment of his encounter with Lila and every word she’d whispered in that breathless voice.
His dragon had been restless all night too, prowling beneath his skin and demanding action.
Claim her. Mark her. End this nightmare.
But his human logic knew better. One wrong move and she’d flee back to Earth, taking his sanity with her for good.
He pushed through the wooden doors of the dining room, where his mother sat at the far end of the long obsidian table. Steam rose from her teacup, and her golden-brown eyes—so like his own—tracked his every movement with maternal precision.
“You look like hell.” Her voice carried the kind of blunt honesty only a mother could deliver.
Draven dropped into the chair next to her, running both hands through his disheveled hair. The black strands stuck up at odd angles, evidence of the countless times he’d raked his fingers through them during the night.
“Good morning to you too, Mother.”
Her lips twitched with barely contained amusement as she poured him coffee from the silver service. The rich aroma did nothing to combat the weariness that had settled into his muscles.
“Your hair looks like you’ve been wrestling with your dragon all night.” She slid the steaming cup across the polished surface. “And those shadows under your eyes suggest you lost the fight.”
Draven accepted the coffee gratefully, wrapping his fingers around the warm ceramic. “Just couldn’t sleep.”
“Mmm.” Her knowing hum made his jaw clench. She leaned back in her chair, studying him with the kind of intensity that had always made him feel transparent. “Is there something you need to confess to me?”
The question hung in the air. Draven stared into his coffee, watching the dark liquid swirl as he fought the urge to fidget under his mother’s scrutiny. She’d always been able to read him like an open book—every emotion, every secret, and every carefully guarded thought.
There’s no point hiding it. She already knows.
“Lila is my fated mate.”
The words fell between them with the weight of a dropped stone. Her expression didn’t change, but something shifted in her golden eyes—satisfaction, perhaps, or relief.
“I know.”
“Of course you do.” Draven dragged a hand down his face, feeling every hour of lost sleep in the gesture.
“The moment she walked into my office, everything inside me turned upside down. My dragon recognized her instantly, and I—” He cut himself off, frustrated by his inability to articulate the overwhelming rightness he’d felt.
“And you can’t stop thinking about her.” Her voice held gentle understanding rather than judgment.
“I can’t breathe when she’s not around.” The confession tumbled out before he could stop it.
“Last night, I dreamed about her voice, her presence, the future we could have together if she chose me willingly. But she’s here to help me, not to become my mate and queen.
How am I supposed to maintain professional boundaries when she’s literally the cure to my condition? ”
His mother leaned forward, her expression softening. “The same way your father did when he first met me.”
Draven’s head snapped up. “What?”
“You think our love story was simple? That we met and instantly fell into each other’s arms?
” Her laugh held bittersweet memories. “Your father was convinced I was too good for him, too intelligent and too independent. He spent weeks trying to court me properly while I wondered why this powerful dragon king was suddenly acting like a nervous adolescent.”
“But that’s different. You weren’t his therapist.”
Her eyes sparked with old fire. “No, but I was his political advisor during a crisis that nearly destroyed the northern border. The power dynamic was just as complicated.” She paused for a moment. “Take things slow, Draven. Let her choose you.”
His dragon snarled at the suggestion, demanding immediate action.
The beast inside him wanted to storm into Lila’s suite, claim her, and be done with this maddening dance.
But the human part of him—the part that had learned strategy and patience from this very woman—recognized the wisdom in her words.
“We don’t have much time for all that.”
“You’d be surprised how quickly things can progress if you’re vulnerable enough with her.” She reached across the table and covered his hand with hers. “I have a feeling she will choose you, Draven. But you have to give her the chance.”
Hope flared in his chest, bright and dangerous. “You really think so?”
“I’ve seen the way she looks at you. There’s recognition there, even if she doesn’t understand it yet.
” Her grip tightened on his hand. “But you must be cautious. Observe her reactions, be mindful of her human ways, and for the love of the ancestors, don’t let your dragon take control.
Most importantly though, consider kingdom safety. ”
The reminder hit him like cold water. “The council.”
“Some of our people may not take well to a human psychologist residing in the castle, and they certainly won’t accept a human mate for their king without significant persuasion.” Her voice turned grave. “You’ll need to manage the political ramifications carefully.”
Draven’s jaw clenched as images of council meetings and noble objections flashed through his mind. The last thing he wanted was to drag Lila into the snake pit of Dominion politics before she’d even decided whether she wanted to stay with him.
“I don’t want to think about political drama right now.” He pulled his hand free and got up from the table. “I just want to focus on building trust with her, on growing the mate bond.”
“Understandable, but you can’t ignore—”
“I know.” The words came out sharper than he’d intended. He softened his tone, recognizing the concern in his mother’s eyes. “I know, Mother. But one crisis at a time.”
She nodded slowly. “Just remember that the kingdom’s stability depends on your choices. Whatever develops between you and Lila, it will affect more than just the two of you.”
Draven drained his coffee in three long gulps. His therapy session with Lila loomed ahead like both a promise and a threat. Today, he’d have to be vulnerable with her, let her see the broken parts of himself he’d spent years hiding from everyone else.
“I need to go.” He stood abruptly. “She’s expecting me for our session, and I can’t be late.”
“Draven.” His mother’s voice stopped him at the door. “Trust yourself. Your dragon recognized her for a reason.”
He met his mother’s knowing gaze, drawing strength from the confidence he saw there. His dragon stirred, eager to see their mate again, eager to feel the calm that only her presence could bring.
Two weeks to convince her to stay.
The urgency pulsed through his veins as he strode through the corridors toward his office, where Lila would be waiting. His heart hammered, part anticipation, part terror. Today, he’d start showing her who he really was beneath the crown and the carefully constructed walls.
Today, he’d begin fighting for his future.